Firefox killed IE???

[Gritz]

I just completed 2 builds for a customer and installed all the latest Firefox and extensions along with XP Home. My customer indicates an occasional need to use MS Internet Explorer... but, IE only comes up with a blank page and an hourglass. I have been through the wringer trying to fix this to no avail. Firefox works fine ... but Internet Explorer won't. I've been to the web for help, uninstalled and reinstalled IE, re-registered all the dlls until I'm blue in the face. Both new systems fail .... the one I'm on now (my old standby) recognizes both browsers!! I've duplicated all the settings that are obvious, but they are still broke. I must doing something pretty stupid, because it has to be something simple. All my systems are connected the same way through a switch, behind a DW7000 using NAT. Some work ... some don't. I'll be holden' to any help or direction.

[bevills1]

Have you been using or changed a broadband modem or router and using a software firewall? I had a problem where no secure sites (i.e. sites beginning with https) could be accessed after I changed routers. I disabled Zonealarm which fixed and identified the problem, and then adding IP address for router to trusted sites in Zonealarm resolved the firewall problem. I've no idea whether this is your circumstance, but it's an easy soltuion if it is. I've also had problems of Outlook Express not working after attempt to repair install was run in Windows 2000, and nothing I did including running repair option for Outlook Express (Windows 2000 doesn't allow its removal) would fix the Outlook Express problem. The only solutiion I could find was backup data and a complete fresh Windows install. Maybe someone else has an easier solution if firewall issues aren't the problem. You may like to consider using Norton Ghost or other imaging program to image a known good basic configuration to more easily resolve such problems if you're not already doing that. You'll want to backup any needed data on any existing system first which you probably already know. The known good basic configuration could then be used to setup any new system desired.

[Gritz]

The only firewall I'm using is the one in XP and the systems work fine with Firefox ... it's just IE that's screwed up! I even reinstalled XP SP2 which didn't fix it either. I'm sure it has something to do with Firefox settings ... but at this point it's pretty evasive and my only hope is to go back to the first Restore Point and reinstall FF & all the other software. Thanks for the come-back though!

[fritzi93]

You may be right about a conflict there. I had Firefox set to check for updates , and several months ago (don't remember exactly, but I must have installed updates), it started acting glitchy. About a month and a half ago, both FF and IE were randomly freezing. FF was up to the latest version, is that 1.5? So I reverted to Firefox v.1.0.6 and turned off the update feature. So far, all has been fine, so I'm inclined to think it wasn't coincidental.

This may have nothing to do with your particular problem, but since you asked... maybe worth a try.

[fritzi93]

Oh yes, I'd be wary of installing too many extensions with FF. There was, for example, a release of the Launchy extension that buggered FF for me about a year ago. How about getting everything going first with no extensions, then add them one-by-one?

Any progress?

[winifreid]

I doubt it is FF. Most likely a firewall setting or a setting in IE.

[TaoTeWingChun]

Make sure you verify the Internet Options applet in Contrl Panel - make sure the LAN Settings is set corretly for your specific configuration.

Trust me, I've done over 1,000 similar builds, Win2K Pro and WinXP, and that one small area can give you headaches you'd never imagine!

Best Wishes and post back with your results!

Cheers!

TTWC

[Hooter Honker]

Make sure you verify the Internet Options applet in Contrl Panel - make sure the LAN Settings is set corretly for your specific configuration.

I also had a similar head scratching experience. My fiance's sister was having trouble with IE while FF and every other internet app. worked flawlessly. Ended up being a setting in the proxy server field. Lesson learned.

HH

[TaoTeWingChun]

I must know your fiance's sister, because a lady friend of mine had this very same thing happen, which made me examine almost every other setting EXCEPT the LAN Settings panel in Internet Options.

I too suffered that lesson under fire!

Cheers!

TTWC

[Gritz]

Fortunately I had made a restore point when XP first came up successfully so I went back to that point and started reinstalling all the special software that my customer wanted. So far IE & FF are working together and I've only installed 2 Extensions in FF ... and now I'm making restore points after each major software install. On my second build I've decided that this user needs to learn to use FF anyway .... so I'm leaving it as is. Anyway, I'm rolling again, but I have no idea what caused the problem initially .....

Thanks for all the replies guys .... I appreciate it.